Walkin’ the Dog

I was not sure where to put this letter (forums, email, posts etc?) but I would love to do something about the issue of walking dogs in our neighborhood. I have been harassed four times in the last few months while walking my dog. Let me start by saying that I ALWAYS carry poop bags and I USE them. I do not allow my dog to eliminate in neighbor’s yards (the property between their house and the sidewalk). I do my best to not allow my dog to eliminate on flowers or gardens between the street and the sidewalk, which is public property according to Seattle City Government. However, I have a dog and she loves to smell and explore; which, besides going to the bathroom, is part of the point of taking her for a walk. It allows her to have some mental stimulation as well as exercise.

Twice I have had people come out and stare at me as I allow my dog to sniff on the PUBLIC side of the sidewalk and threaten me to get off their property. TWICE I have had people come out and yell at me to get my dog off their property. I have nicely tried to explain that I am respectful and responsible and this is after all, public property. The city even suggests if you are worried about anything that would happen on the land between the street and the sidewalk, don’t plant anything there, as they can not control the flow of people or animals in those areas.

I am really getting tired of having a nice walk with my dog and enjoying the weather and then being harassed to the point I come home angry and in tears wanting to move away from here. The question I pose, where exactly should I walk my dog and how exactly can I explain to her that there is maybe three spots in a one mile radius where I can allow her to smell and explore (and yes, pee).

I can see that it is frustrating to deal with dog owners that don’t clean up and allow their pets to go in yards but it is not fair to punish me. I also ask, “where should I walk my dog?” She isn’t allowed at parks and now I’m being told she can’t even stray from the sidewalk (which legally, as long as I have her on a four foot leash and she is on city property, she can go and smell whatever she wants) .So, what is the solution here? I find myself getting very defensive and angry and I have rights too.

I also would like to mention that I have a cat as well. I keep him inside so he does not hunt birds or other wildlife. I do this for his safety as well. People drive 50 miles an hour around here but that seems to be ok.

“The city even suggests if you are worried about anything that would happen on the land between the street and the sidewalk, don’t plant anything there, as they can not control the flow of people or animals in those areas.”
Good god, they told you that? The city would look awful if people didn’t plant in those strips. City government seems to have gone off the deep end. Another example, row houses in Wallingford. I walked by a development sign here in the neighborhood and could not believe they were planning to wedge five units on a typical size lot where there is currently a single quaint old house. I looked up the regulations online and sure enough they give row houses special designation. Every other kind of domicile has density limits, even townhouses which are hardly different from row houses. However if you call the townhouse a row house then for L1-L3 zoned areas it says “No Limit” for density. Developers will apparently wedge as many as they want onto each lot.

Fruitbat

I believe that whoever wrote/said that (“If you are worried…don’t plant there”) meant: don’t plant your favorite prize dahlias or delicate greens there, because your plants will be subject to the natural abuse of the cityscape; save the precious items for your yard. DO plant something there that can take a bit of foot traffic and dog sniffing and that you won’t mind seeing damaged.

The important part is “if you are worried.” In other words: yes, do plant; please don’t be too protective about the plants there. If you can’t stop being fussy, please don’t plant and then hassle people about brushing up next to your precious flora.

Scooter

First off… thank you for being a responsible dog owner. I love dogs, love seeing them in Seattle, and hate it when other people have dogs and don’t know how to responsibly handle them.

Just a point though… the sidewalk’s and the strip between the sidewalks and the street aren’t public property – they’re private. Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the the strip, and for that matter sidewalk maintenance and repair. The public has an easement (a limited encumbrance on private land) for pedestrian use, and the city has an easement for utility use.

That being said… there should be no problem with your dog. The city code will fine you for not having your dog on a leash, not picking up your dog poop, not having your dog licensed, failing to even carry poop bags, etc. If you have all those things covered, your dog can poop on the strip, on the sidewalk, in your yard, in somebody else’s yard, etc. As long as they’re leashed and you pick it up… you’re good to go.

The next time somebody hassles you, just smile and tell them they’re free to call animal control. Pick it up and move on… life is too short to worry about people yelling at you.

michaelmhoffman

The planting strip is almost always owned by the city in Seattle. It is not private land. Check your plat map.

Abigail

Come north of 50th. Very friendly to dogs around here. Many dog walkers all day.
While we’re grizzling, though: Dog owners, please don’t use other people’s garbage bins for your dog waste, particularly on the day the garbage pickup truck has come by. Your item will sit there another week . Owner of the beautiful Basset Hound, are you listening?

emailerin

Even better, someone stuck their waste in our compost bin and they refused to empty our Yard Waste can because there was a pet waste bag in it. Grrr…

I have a dog and I put poop bags out in our yard for people to use and I STILL step in it once a week.

It is unlawful for anyone not authorized by the property owner or occupant to deposit any material in any solid waste container on private property or on a sidewalk or a planting strip abutting private property.

Abigail

Great research. thanks !

emailerin

I will keep an eye out for our compost dog poop bandit and call the police! Kidding…

Neighbor2You

Yeah, that’s the thing. I don’t know what recourse people really have if some inconsiderate person dumps a poop bag in the compost…making it unacceptable for pick-up. You can’t realistically call the police, and if the offenders are unfazed about acting unlawfully, is there a likelihood of a conversation about being neighborly?
I want there to be.

emailerin

I sorta hope that’s what this is. Maybe I need to make a passive-aggressive sign for my compost bin. (I kid, I kid).

chomharsamhaith

I agree with Michael. I know for a fact that the planting strip on my street (Corliss) is City property. Also, my property line, like all those on my block, is several feet inbound of the sidewalk. My understanding is that the property owner is responsible for maintaining these areas, and may plant on them (so long as the City doesn’t object to the plantings), but this is public-accessble land and ownership resides with the City.

Scooter

Odd, I couldn’t find anything that looked like the city “owns” anything in the platt map, but the online resources are a little wonky and I’m not a real-estate attorney, so I’ll admit I might be off on the ownership issue. My experience with ownership issues, easements, and adverse possession all come from having a property in unincorporated king county that wound being being a legal nightmare… the city ownership thing is new to me.

While it seems moot from the dog-ownership and public-use point-of-view, I’d like to know how the city could require property owners to maintain property (e.g. parking strips and sidewalks) that isn’t really their property. I get how it could be required if it’s an easement… but what’s the legal basis for demanding maintenance on property that isn’t yours?

Bonus points to anybody that comments who *is* a real-estate attorney… this stuff is confusing.

It provides Seattle DOT’s explanation of private property and public rights of way, including a property owner’s responsibilities for the latter.

brady

The City definitely owns that planting strip, but from what I have heard you are liable for that area (i.e. if someone trips on a bad section of sidewalk in front of your house and chooses to sue you)

E30 Memorial

@ Scooter,
You’re wrong about it being legal to poop or pee in someone elses yard. If you read your ordiances, you’ll see that it’s illegal to even let your dog walk on private property. The scoop law applies to public property only.
Steve

SMC 9.25.084 A
It is unlawful for the owner to:
A. Permit any animal, except cats and pigeons, to be at large or trespass upon the property of another.
Steve

Scooter

I stand corrected… thank you E30. It’s also nice to know I can’t have a pot-bellied pig in school ;>

Ron ‘Chip White’ Sievers

My first suggestion would be to let your dog do it’s business in your own yard. It’s nice that you’re a responsible pet owner, but kids walk and play in those areas that your dog may be urinating or defecating in so, it’s not healthy.

Eileen

Well, in the poster’s defense, they may not have a yard to have that option (i.e. apartment).

E30 Memorial

@ Eileen,
And this is one of the reasons why us tax payers pay for dog parks. Also, every apartment has a their own parking strip to crap in.
I see one of my neighbors walk their dog at least twice a day down three houses and lets their dog crap in the neighbors parking strip, then turn around and go home.

Taraveah

I would argue that you shouldn’t have an animal if you don’t have adequate space for them.

jude

Show them the bags? Tell them you respect their beautiful home and garden? If sweet reason fails…
I always carry my cellphone. One time, when yelled at and threatened at very close range, I told the homeowner I was ready to phone the police. An alternate is to ask them to phone 911 if they think they are in the right.

BTW, my understanding from reading the law is that sidewalk and planter strip next to street are public right of way. Property owner is obligated to maintain this area. It may not make much sense to some, but I think that is the way.

nightlikethis

I’m bewildered by this. I’ve had a dog in Wallingford for 4 years and not once had anyone even look at us/her sideways. And yes, she pees, and she poops. Sometimes in people’s actual yards, though I always redirect her if I see what she’s thinking about in time, but those li’l guys can be fast. I, too, always have bags and always pick it up, no matter how remote we are from normal foot traffic, including in the far reaches of parks… but that apparently isn’t the problem in your case. Weird.

E30 Memorial

@ Nightlikethis,
So what you’re saying is, that you’re in violation of city ordinance by not being in control of your dog at ALL TIMES. It’s illegal to allow your dog on private property, let alone pee & poop. This is why us “other dog lovers” get angry at irresponsible dog owners that disrespect our yards.
Steve

bbb

I put a lot of work into the parking strip in front of my house but always with the understanding that it’s city property and so whatever is there is at risk. And although I like dogs, I don’t like seeing their poop everywhere so that may be why people become anti-dog, even if some dog owners are responsible.

Frankie

Somebody is letting their dog shit on my strip and not picking it up. I suspect it’s the same person each time. If I catch them doing it, I am going to make them pick it up with their bare hands.

nightlikethis

Frankie — Just be sure you aren’t dealing with a sociopath, which is about the only kind of dog owner I know who would repeatedly not pick up after their pet. You might mention that it’s illegal not to carry bags, and illegal not to pick up your dog’s poop.

Frankie

Don’t worry. The person letting their dog poop and leaving it there for my child to step in, will be the one dealing with a sociopath. 🙂

Maggie

Agreed, the curb strip is city property that owners are required to maintain. One example of that level of control in action: If you have a large tree that you want to prune, you may do so, but you have to get a permit from the city first and sometimes they check out the tree in question before they issue one.

Kudos to dog owners in Wallingford – in seven years I’ve never found dog poop or even a burned spot in my yard. My only complaint is if people help themselves to my trash or compost bin during the day on Fridays and drop bagged poop in an empty bin. Still, that’s only happened a handful of times and 99% of dog owners who go by my house are extremely considerate–so thank you!

Leslie

“Many Seattle residents are beautifying their streets by planting flowers, shrubs, and trees in the planting (or “parking”) strip in front of their property, between the sidewalk and street. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) encourages this, but requires a free permit for raised beds (or any structure) and tree planting, to insure that sightlines and public safety are considered.

Growing food is another option in the planting strip: vegetables or berries – SDOT prohibits fruit trees because of the slipping hazard for pedestrians from fallen fruit. For some residents, it’s their only sunny area to grow vegetables. But the planting strip is a public space, part of the public right-of-way, so it’s hard to control what pets or people do there. It can be harder to reach with water, and there may be concerns with the soil. So think about other sunny places in your yard first for food gardening, or consider gardening with a neighbor, signing up for a P-Patch garden plot, container gardening on a sunny porch, or call the Garden Hotline to learn about options for sharing gardening spaces.”

Your posting comes across as highly entitled. It sounds like you’ve identified a few folks who do not want your dog urinating on the strips in front of their homes. There are plenty of dog lovers who wouldn’t be bothered by this so why not just make a mental note of the strips to avoid? While it isn’t technically the homeowner’s property, it is conceptually. You should treat these strips as if they are part of the homeowners property and not something to which you are entitled. Be a good neighbor.

Fruitbat

Well put and sensible. I wouldn’t say Leslie is “entitled” so much as very sensitive. Four encounters with the cranky in a few months doesn’t seem like a reason to move away, but different folks have different reactions, I guess.

Leslie

I am a good neighbor but if I avoided all the areas where people have come out to stare at me and tell me to go home then I would have nowhere to walk, seriously. This happens in all different areas. I am by no means, “entitled”. Sensitive, I’ll accept 🙂 No one wakes up every day, gets in their car and drives to a dog park. Do you have to use the bathroom when you first wake up or do you just drive to work? Let’s be realistic. The noise from children playing outside in the early mornings at times wakes me up. I work two jobs (nurse and teacher) and I would never dream to get up and ask the kids to go play in their house because the noise is bothering me. They are kids. As long as you are picking up, being sanitary and being polite there is no reason to worry about walking your dog anywhere in the neighborhood.

E30 Memorial

You’re correct that when I get up in the morning I don’t drive to work to do my business, I pee and crap AT HOME….not at my neighbors house.
Again this morning I watched another one of my neighbors walk their dog next door to crap, then turned around and went home. Why not walk dogs in their own yard to crap??!! It boils down to respecting your neighbors.

My wife spends a lot of time working in the yard (and planting strip). Just to show the arrogance of some dog owners (by no means all), my wife was on her hands and knees working in the planting strip and one of those arrogant dog owners was letting their dog crap just a couple feet behind her.

Steve

Fruitbat

You can walk your dog–on a leash– in most areas of city parks. No playgrounds, wading pools, sports fields or beaches. I don’t know why you think she’s not allowed at parks.

Leslie

Yes, I was talking about the local parks here which consist of playfields, wading pools, playgrounds. And I agree, dogs around playgrounds is not fair or right as you never know how children will respond. I do utilize other public parks like Greenlake and Discovery park for our longer walks. Unfortunately, this is not possible on a daily basis. But yes, I generalized there. Thank you.

bb

I am delighted by all the colors and kinds of canines that parade by daily with their humans who responsibly look after their ‘leavings’ . I am also delighted by the parade of children with their adults who guide them to and from the school(yard). There are no ‘leavings’ for the adults to pick up after as children are humans who are trained or clothed to ‘prevent’ this. HOWEVER recently I observed woman whose behavior with her child was far more EGREGIOUS than the rare irresponsible dog owner/walker. This ADULT woman was walking by my busy street corner with a baby in a stroller and a toddler girl on a tiny scooter. I was just getting out of my car when I observed her pick up the older child and back her up to a fruit tree on the planting strip, pull down her little pants and squatted her to do her ‘do her business’. SHOCKED, I hollered that she was walking a CHILD – NOT A DOG!
The child did not ‘leave’ a poop but that does not excuse the totally indecent URBAN behavior! This is not the forest and the tree (a favorite for young tree climbers) concealed nothing! I realize that the child might be in potty training but what lesson does the child learn from this? What in the name of decency was this woman, however frustrated, thinking!

…or am I just a curmudgeon? I was told that my submission of these facts was likely to open too big a ‘can of worms’ to post outside a forum. Dog/caretaker behavior apparently isn’t. My apologies to those who might be offended but I feel that I need to defend PUBLIC decency! (not to mention laws forbidding public urination and the incumbent public health risks)!

wildnwonderful

wow, you are so angry. i would also be somewhat bothered at seeing this. I bet, however, all of a sudden tisi little child began whining ” I need to go I need to go now” and a tired frustrated ( no, not thinking nicely) Mom had hit her limit. I am not excusing her. In working with families many years I’ve seen very tired parents whose actions, if judged, come out looking bad.

Craig Lindsay

A toddler who has to take a “nature pee” is every-day life as a parent. The kid is going to pee regardless, and if they do it in their pants, those will come off until they get home.

A quickie by a tree is a win-win. The kid gets to pee, the clothes stay dry, the parent gets to continue on with their life, there is no crying/tantrum and the kid’s dignity is saved as they won’t end up walking home naked from the waist down. Even the tree benefits from a little “watering”

In the end, there is nothing indecent about a kid peeing in public, so yes, you are a curmudgeon.

Miranda

agreed. 🙂

Loic

When I moved into my Wallingford house, the parking strip featured long-neglected ground cover which I have cared for over the last decade, fertilized, groomed and weeded. But over the past couple of years, dogs have decided it is their go-to latrine. Most of the owners pick up the poop (I wish I could say they all do–and they persist in depositing it in my garbage can, even walking well up my driveway to do so). But what’s really distasteful to me is that I groom and weed my garden year round and ick, so many dog owners happily stop so their dogs can urinate all over my plants that I get to weed with my hands. Also, the urine burns delicate new growth. I’m not really that familiar with dogs–are they wired to only urinate on plants? Can they do it on pavement? Could dog owners steer their pets to do it on grass instead of on plantings? Would they hate me and think I’m a meanie if I got one of those squatting dog signs with a red circle? I like dogs–I just don’t like their waste.

E30 Memorial

There’s an old movie called “Never Cry Wolf”. It’s a great movie that shows canine behavior. Ever wonder how a dog can be cooped up all day or night and not pee, but take them for a walk and they can’t go 20ft without peeing on something?
A good detournement for keeping dogs out, is to sprinkle cayenne pepper (as a natural fertilizer of course) anywhere dogs tend to invade. It washes away, so sprinkling it on nice days when the owners want to bless their neighbors is best. Dogs hate it and will remember your yard as a place to avoid. It’s cheap by the pound at Cash and Carry.
Steve

Donn

They pee on stuff that sticks up. They’re scent marking. You might be able to direct it somewhat with some small posts, like 4 inch diameter, near the walk.

MrRogers

Perhaps bb will invite toddlers into her home to pee in the name of urban civility?

brady

I would suggest walking your dog in a different direction. You will find that only a few homeowners are so sour. Find a good route with good neighbors and it should be fine from then on. If you pick up after your dog I could care less if he poops on my planting strip or on my lawn.

lkb9999

I am probably one of the neighbors all over the dog walkers. I am sorry but I live N of 50th, and the dog situation is Cray Cray. I had put signs in the parking strip endlessly but after being late to school 2 times while loading kids in the mini van (due to dog poop) I graveled/Rocked the Parking strip, fenced the front yard. Owning a dog is like a neighbor who has 5 cars. Yes it is legal, but it is just not very nice, and if they have 5 car garage okay, but not likely in Wallingford, Just the same most homes have small yards especially in tight wallingford neighborhoods. Move to the burbs buy some land have your dogs. In the meantime, load up the dog take them to the dog park for a walk/swim, keep them inside your house so they don’t bark in the back yard. Thanks.

Greg Flood

I love dogs, but do not currently have one because the yard is small. I suspect that the grumpy neighbor has had to deal with a few too many “gifts” left behind. For example, just walking to the car on Saturday we dodged four piles. Makes for a bad day when dashing out in the morning results on a too-close encounter. There is no acceptable excuse to make someone else clean up after your pet.

Please take your doggie waste home with you. Baby waste, too, for that matter. It is poor etiquette to dump your poo in your neighbors trash… or in the trash at the parks as well. It is a sad park employee who has to deal with cans filled 20% with sewage. And, please, pick up after your dog, especially those running their pets off leash (illegal everywhere but designated areas). Nothing worse than to work in the garden beds and “discover” by hand that renegade turd Bowser stashed there while Owner was chatting it up or sipping coffee. pay attention and be a good neighbor.

The argument that “it’s natural!” and just “goes away” is insane when you consider that there are more dogs than people in Seattle and they are all pooping along our sidewalks and in our parks. Pick it up and take it home. Ideally, the bag should be emptied into the toilet and flushed, where it does not pose a health hazard to others.

Cordy

Thank you for being another responsible dog owner. To the complainers, I say: People have been living with dogs for 12,000 years. Get used to it.

Donn

They’ve been eating them for a long time, too, if that’s a compelling argument. Bill the Butcher will share his skills.

Loic

Well Cordy, 12,000 years ago would have been a different experience entirely! Roaming the savanna with my barely-evolved-from-wolf by my side, as he helped me track aurochs and mastodons, I would smile happily as he marked his territory along our nomadic journey. However, now I have spears of ornamental grasses instead of a real spear, sigh.

kravitz

Trev and Loic I am with you. I also have spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars and unknown personal time in creating a beautiful landscaped area in our parking strip which was formerly dead grass. I also own 2 dogs and walk them almost every day. This debate is pretty simple. I ALWAYS pick up after my dogs and DON’T let them pee and crap on people’s lawns & plantings. This reminds me of the driveway debate from months past. “whats the rule….whats the law…who owns what…etc.” The same obvious answer applies here. Be respectful of your neighbors! Its pretty damn easy to see the people who have contributed to our neighborhood by improving their yards and parking strips and its pretty damn easy to avoid those areas when walking your dog. I have watched people let their dogs on retractable leashes walk all over our plants and pee — as well as poop without picking it up. It blows my dog owning/parking strip beautifying mind!

wildnwonderful

Thank you. It is about the golden rule.. treat one another as you would your family and yourself. I also am curious about the slang, “Cray, Cray”.. sounds labeling and a bit unfair.

Fruitbat

Cray cray means “crazy” (in the sense of wacky or out of whack).
The usage here does “label” the situation (not people) as out of control. It seems quite fair to say that having to deal with other’s dog poop when walking in front of your house in a civilized city is a bit absurd, “senseless” “impractical” “out of the ordinary” (one hopes), or–cray cray. (quotes from dictionary definitions of crazy)

wildnwonderful

like yuh, uh I like, umm ya know, I like I knew, bit it is so like craw craw or caw caw I hadda make a stand and it till sounds labelling to me.

hindsight2020

Good lord. You want to know where to walk your dog? Your instincts are right! You need to move. I left Seattle about a year ago and I can tell you, it’s better out here! The posts on this are *ridiculous* to say the least. Yes, you need to be a responsible dog walker wherever you live, but you don’t need to put up with all this….poop. Seriously uptight.

E30 Memorial

But it doesn’t look like you left…..

Donn

Many people here, are not here.

jj

Can someone explain the objection to a small, sealed, non-odiferous bag being placed in your garbage can? I understand not dumping raw poop (ew), or giant bags of trash (rude), but I’m really far from being bothered by responsible dog owners adding a small bag to my trash, as long as they replace the lid securely, so I’m trying to understand.

Loic

We get by with a pretty small garbage container since we recycle & compost almost everything. But there are weeks when we have guests or the like and I end up stamping everything down to fit more in the can. Several times, a dog owner had added a bag of dog poop that I didn’t notice and when I stomped down, the poop bag ruptured. So unfun to scrub that out of the can! And maybe “non-odiferous” to the dog’s owner since they’re used to it, but my experience was different. After the second squishy surprise, we started storing our garbage container on the porch behind a planter. However, we shortly discovered that this was not a perfect solution, as the collectors shortly thereafter rejected our yard waste because someone had placed a bag there.

Fruitbat

Yes, we’ve had people put poop bags in the yard waste bin. (Which is clearly labeled Yard Waste and says “no animal waste”) Those are really big cans to reach all the way into to dig out someone else’s mistake.
And yeah, for the small cans, any extra is unwelcome.
In general, it’s imposing your mess on someone else. How is it difficult to carry a small, light-weight non-odiferous bag the rest of the way home?

bbb

I agree. I’d rather someone deposit their bagged doggie poop in my trash can than leave it at the crime scene. I can understand not wanting to cary it for blocks home when there are perfectly good cans available for the taking…..

Donn

it hasn’t happened often to me, but when it did, it was summer; the can was out for collection, so of course the deposit remained in the can all the warm week until next collection. Was it non-odiferous? It was not at all non-odiferous. Since it’s illegal, of course your question is academic and there’s no need for a debate over whether it ought to be acceptable or not, but there’s my perspective in case it helps.

Trev

Here is the deal, if you are dog owner and also a reader of this blog, you are most likely a very civic minded good dog owner whom is considerate. You are not the problem, you represent maybe 50%. But the other 50% is a huge number and that just too many pooping everywhere dogs. The City really needs to limit the overall number with some sort of cap. Dogs are not protected like Children. and the deference we give children. People without kids put up with a lot dealing with others kids. But those kids will take care of them running the nursing home they live in. Until your Dog can someday work in nursing home or your dog maybe can become president it should be ownership should be more higher taxed and regulated more heavily as it is not a right to have a dog rather a privilege, that puts a cost on everyone. Let me also add this aside, just as some of the least tolerant people of smoking are ex smokers. Most good dog owners are the most disgusted with bad dog owners.

Neighbor2You

I don’t know how representative the readers of this blog are when it comes to responsible dog ownership, and in any case, that’s beside the point.
I see no need to limit the number of dogs in the city so much as acknowledging that there are two groups of dog owners in Seattle: one that is responsible and caring for their dogs and their neighbors, and one that is not.
Much as I dislike the concept, I think the latter just won’t behave in a lawful (let alone neighborly) way unless the consequences for not doing so are huge. As it stands, I fear the irresponsible dog owners are rapidly becoming the public “face” of dog owners overall.
So I’d be fully supportive of massively increasing the penalties for violating the laws that are on the books, starting with the inconsiderate people who run their dogs loose in P-Patches, for example. It wouldn’t harm the responsible dog owners at all, and it would highlight that the irresponsible ones are not representative.
And, are even half the dogs in Seattle licensed? (There’s some revenue that could be put to good use.)

Leslie

I’d be ok with that too. (Maybe with the revenue a few more local dog parks to help the population issue?) Wallingford is going to see many more apartments and condos going up due to all the development and these people will have dogs. If people pick up after their dogs it really should be a non-issue.

jude

Many dogs need to walk before they poop. Some people live in apartments with limited outdoor space. I know this is a sensitive issue and hope we can all respect each other in the discussion and in our actions.

Trev

The yards in Wallingford are small enough. Zoning rules should be change to not allow pets in Apartments. I never lived in an apartment that allowed pets and I am surprised so many do. I guess it keeps these guys in the link below employed, it all seems a waste of human time, but I feel the same way about the Kardasians. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/dna-testing-dog-poop_n_4349315.html

Me

we decided to live in Wallingford as opposed to the east side. It seemed like a smart, liberal place to live. This discussion belies that. Clean up after your dogs (we have one). No biggie.

Loic

How lovely for you that it is “no biggie” when dogs (yours, perhaps?) urinate on sensitive ornamental plants. So to be clear, in order to be “smart” and “liberal,” one must be OK with it?

Loic

“Me,” am I reading your post correctly that in order for you to consider a person “smart” and “liberal,” they must accept your dog urinating on their small, Wallingford-sized front garden?

Me

Loic, it’s the risk you run when with planting strips.Ours is well maintained with simply grass and trees because it is subject to the vicissitudes of urban living. Our dog does not go into gardens. Dog owners need to be pragmatic and responsible. Garden owners need to be practical and realistic.

Trev

Sound like you perhaps would be best suited for large land spread in North Bend not Wallingford. It is getting more liberal out there and you could help the cause. I lived on the eastside Somerset, the police patrol and shoot loose dogs. I think you got it backwards

Taraveah

The land between a home and the road is considered an easement, and the homeowner is definitely responsible for that land (complete with fines if it is not kept up to city code and ordinances). It is part of their private property. The city can have access to it, that is all. I don’t know where you got your information, but it is not accurate. The city does not own the land in question. It is merely an easement, which is a huge difference. I live next to a city park that welcomes dogs and I have numerous people that treat my private yard like a park. It is beyond annoying. When I walk my large dog, I keep her moving. I don’t consider it very good ettiquette to allow your dog to roam all over another person’s yard, even if it is in the easement, and I especially do not let my dog linger at every single tree and pee on every single one. (I’m not saying you do that, but that is what I experience with dog walkers at my home, which really ticks me off, even though they do clean up their doggie poop). And remember, you love your dog, but your neighbors don’t. Have some respect for them, which I don’t consider letting your dog roam and sniff wherever it wants too.

Camiller_CA

You sound like a nice respectable person. Thanks for being a responsible dog owner. Unfortunately, there are dog owners that will let their dogs go on people’s lawns or wherever they want, then they just leave it there. Those people ruin it for everyone else. I’m okay with dogs crapping on the parking strip as long as the owners pick it up, per the law in the area. Crap away, just clean it up.

Wallyhood is dedicated to fostering community and communication in the Wallingford neighborhood. A group of volunteer editors rotate the responsibility of managing the site, and we welcome stories from all our neighbors.

This week’s editor is ​Jack McLaughlin. You can contact the editor-of-the-week at [email protected].

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